Signor



No., 624,53l. Patented May 9, I899.

R. B. PAINTON. I

ELECTBICALLY OPERATED BUDDER CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Sept. 13, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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UN TED STATES PATENT I OFFICE.

RICHARD BENJAMIN PAINTON, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, AS-

SIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF SEVEN-SIXTEENTHS TO WVILLIAM H. BAINBRIDGE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND, AND D. CLARENCE \VILLOUGHBY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRlCALLY-OPERATED RUBBER-CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 624,531, dated May 9, 1899.

Application filed September 13,1897. Serial No, 651,527, (No model.)

To a7] whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RICHARD BENJAMIN PAINTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Electrical Rudder-Controlling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rudder-controllin g mechanism for ships; and it has for its object to provide a mechanism of this character controlled entirely by electricity and especially designed for use in combination wit-h an electrical system of marine propulsion of the character disclosed in my pendingapplication, filed May 7, 1897, Serial No. 635,578, in order that every movement of the ship can be controlled from a convenient point by the manipulation of a suitable electrical switchboard.

To this end the invention primarily conrately and quickly controlled.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings and the following description.

The improvement is susceptible of various changes in the form, proportion,and the minor details of construction without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to a full disclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of the stern of the ship or vessel, showing the rudder fitted with the controlling mechanism contemplated by this invention and also showing in diagram a switchboard-circuit for reversing the direction of the current in the leads for the electric motor. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring the accompanying drawings, the

numeral 1 designates the hull of a ship or vessel, at the stern of which is arranged the any suitable manner to provide for the necessary swing or movement of the latter, but is forged on the lines of an armature-shaft of an electric motor, so as to form the armatureshaft of an electric controlling-motor 4.. The electric controlling-motor 4 is supported in position within the stern of the hull in any suitable manner and is constructed essen-' tially the same as ordinary electric motors, having the usual fields 5 and the rotating armature 6 working between the fields. However, in adapting the motor for use in connection with the vertical shaft of the rudder the said motor must be of a reversible type and especiallybuilt to suit the particular space and shafting designed for use'in connection therewith, and the motor must also be of a type that will run or turn slowly in either direction. To provide for'adapting the controlling-motor 4 to the vertical shaft 3, the armature 6 is wound directly on the said shaft, so that the latter will not only form the rudder-shaft, but also the armature-shaft as well, thereby obviating the slighest degree of lost motion andrendering the rudder sensitive to the slightest energization of the motor.

As already explained, the electric motor 4 may be of any approved type, but must be specially wound for the purpose, so that the armature will move and rotate at a slow speed in either direction. The only requirements, therefore, of the motor are that the same be of a reversible type and that the winding be of such a character as to provide for the slow rotation or movement of the armature. Relative to the switchboard herein referred to I do not claim any special design of switchboard or any particular arrangement thereof, but only contemplate using any suitable switchboard which will provide for reversing the direction of the current through the electric motor and for cutting the current off,and for the purposes of'illustration a switchboardcircuit is shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. In this figure of the drawings the number 20 designates an ordinary dynamo or electrical generator which is arranged at any point within the ship or vessel, and which dynamo or generator has in: cluded in the circuit thereof an ordinary rereversing switchboard 21. The reversingswitchboard 21 is of a common construction and has suitable Wire connections with the.

fields and brushes of the electric motor 4, so that by shifting the position of the switcharms 22, which are coupled together and move in unison in the usual manner, the current will be reversed through the leads of the electric'motor, as plainly illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings.

The reversing-switchboard 21 is designed to be arranged in the captains chart-room oratanyother suitable place within the ship,so that by a movement of the switch arms or levers 22 in eitherdi rection the armature of the motor can be caused to rotate in the proper direction. When the rudder of the ship has been turned to the desired degree, the switchboard is manipulated to immediately reverse the current through the motor, so as to instantly check the further movement of the rudder, and then the current is cutoff entirely, after which the rudder will be held in its adjusted position by the friction arresting device, which will now be described.

The upper end of the combined rudder and armature shaft 3 may be conveniently fitted in a brace-bearing 7, below which said shaft 3 has fitted thereon a horizontal spur-gear 8, spaced a slight distance from and arranged concentrically with a stationary segmental rack 9, having teeth 10 on its inner edge and bolted or otherwise secu red in a fixed position within the stern of the vessel adjacent to the spur-gear 8. In connection with the spurgear 8 and the concentric rack 9 there is employed a traveling pinion 11, interposed between said gear and rack and meshing with the teeth thereof.

The traveling pinion 11 is loosely j ou rnaled on an upwardly-disposed spindle-pin 12, upturned from one end of a horizontal brakearm 13, the other end of which brake-arm has fitted thereto a brake-band 14, frictionally embracing the shaft 3, immediately below the spur-gear S, and providing means for checking any tendency of the shaft 3 to turn except under the influence of the electric motor,while at the same time serving to hold the arm 13 in such a position that the traveling pinion 11 will maintain its proper relation to the gear 8 and rack 9 as it rolls or travels in the space therebetween. It will also be observed that the stationary rack 9, in connection with the pinion 11 and the spur-gear 8, provides simple and positive means for effectually restraining the'motion of the brake-arm 13, while at the same time not interfering with the swing ing movement'of the arm to maintain the proper relative position of the pinion 11 to the spur-gear and said rack, irrespective of the angle or degree to which the rudder may be turned.

When the electric motor is energized to turn the rudder-shaft 3, the spur-gear 8 and the brake-arm 13 will necessarily turn with such shaft, thereby causing the pinion 11 to travel against the rack 9 toward either end thereof, according to the direction of rotation of the rudder-shaft, and by reasonof the band 14 frictionally gripping the shaft 3 the said band, in connection with the gears 8 and 11 and the rack 9, will constitute an arresting device for the rudder to hold the same in its adjusted position and prevent it from being thrown back in line with the keel of the ship by the action of the propellers at either side of the same, especially when the propellers are arranged as shown in my pending application herein referred to. In other words, any tendency of the shaft 3 to turn back and carry the brake= arm 13 therewith would be withstood by the interlocking-gears which hold the swinging end of the brake-arm, while the other end thereof frictionally grips the rudder-shaft.

While I have shown and described a particular arrangement of'the controlling-motor and the arresting device for the rudder, it will be understood that these or other parts of the controlling mechanism may be modified and arranged according to the particular character and size of the'space designed to receive the same without in any way departing from the spirit of this invention, and it will also be understood that any well-known system of electrical distribution and switchboards may be employed for the purpose of energizing and reversing the motor without affectingthe essential feature of the invention, which is the idea of applying an electric motor directly to the vertical shaft of a rudder, as -I am not aware that such application and arrangement of an electric motor has heretofore been resorted to.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electrical rudder-controllingmechanism, the combination with the vertical rudder-shaft,of a reversibleelectric controllingmotor having its armature coupled to the shaft,a horizontal spur-gear fitted on the shaft above the motor, a stationary segmental rack arranged adjacent to and concentric with said spur-gear, a swinging brake-arm having a friction-brake -band connection at one end withthe rudder-shaft, and a pinion loosely supported on the swinging end of said arm member from the rudder-shaft, and means for restraining the motion of said brake member, substantially as set forth.

3. In an electrical rudder-controllin g mechanism the combination With'the rudder-shaft, of a reversible electric motor having operative connection with the shaft, an arresting device having a brake member engaging the rudder-shaft, and agear connection with said brake member to provide for restraining the motion thereof, substantially as set forth.

4:. In an electrical rudder-controllin g mechanism,the combination with the rudder-shaft, of a reversible electric motor having operative connection with the shaft, a swinging brake arm frictionally engaging with the shaft, and means for restraining the movement of the brake-arm with the rudder-shaft, substantially as set forth.

5. In an electrical rudder-controlling mechanism,the combination with the rudder-shaft, of a reversible electric motor having operative connection with the shaft, an arresting device having a movable brake member engaging with the rudder-shaft, and a gearingof a reversible electric motor having operative connection with the shaft, a swinging ative connection with the shaft, an arresting device having a movable brake member fric tionally engaging the rudder-shaft, and a train of restraining-gears, one of the gears being fitted to the rudder-shaft, and another to a fixed part of the vessel, substantially as set forth.

8. An electrical rudder-controlling mechanism, the combination with the rudder-shaft, of a reversible electric motor having operative connection with the shaft, abrake havingits movable member engaging with the shaft, a stationary segmental rack fitted to a fixed part of the vessel, a spur-gear fitted to the rudder-shaft, and a pinion interposed between the spur-gear and rack and supported by the movable brake member, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own Ihave hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

RICHARD BENJAMIN PAINTON.

Witnesses:

1-1. RUssELL HILL, J. CLINTON HILL. 

